So full disclaimer: I’m not a certified yoga instructor. I just really like yoga. I go through phases of being a pretty religious attendee—one summer I got a groupon and went to hot yoga twice a week for like two months—and phases of just being lazy and unmotivated. But overall, I’m just an average girl like you. I know yoga can be kind of intimidating for some people when they see all these Instagram yogis doing gnarly inversions, (those wacky poses that involve stuff like hand-stands or being upside down) but being a seasoned yogi is more about correct technique and self-awareness than impressive trick poses.
For perspective: this past summer I went to my first hot yoga class in almost a year and wasn’t doing too hot (pun totally intended); I fell out of balancing poses at least three times and didn’t feel good during Eagle pose and went into Child’s pose for like a solid five minutes. And yet, at the end of class as I was rolling up my mat the instructor came over to me and said, “I recognize an experienced yogi when I see one—how long have you been practicing?” So I’m here to give some advice to those of you wanting to hop on the yoga trend but who feel like a painfully obvious newb.
1. Stagger your mat! This is my biggest pet peeve about the especially crowded classes at our rec center. You need space beyond just the borders of your mat during yoga. That two feet I deliberately left between my mat and the wall was to give myself space to stretch out, not provide a spot for a latecomer to squeeze into. Don’t be that latecomer. Don’t pull your matt directly next to your buddy’s. You will bump arms and feet and it will be weird.
2. Get your own mat. Even with wipe-downs communal mats are kind of grody. And the loaners at our rec center aren’t actual yoga mats, they’re like aerobics/pilates mats or something. They aren’t quite as long as they should be and they’re extra thick and cushy, which actually makes it harder to balance. Yoga mats are everywhere for cheap—don’t spend a fortune at Lululemon, just hit almost any store—Target, Forever 21, Ross… You can easily spend less than twenty bucks.
3. If you’re not feeling good during a class, go into Child’s pose. This is especially relevant if you’re trying out bikram (hot) yoga where it is not unheard of to get a little queasy. It’s better to breathe it out in Child’s than to rush out of the room, and possibly get light-headed or disrupt the class.
4. Turn off your phone. Seriously, it’s so disruptive to hear a ringtone going on forever in the middle of class. And why are you still getting phone calls? Why don’t your friends just text you like normal people?
5. The reason it feels like the instructor is making you hold a pose for a really long time is because she is. Yoga instructors do that same thing other fitness trainers do to encourage you; they count down to get you to power through something. The thing is in yoga, when the instructor starts going “Just five more! …fourrrrr… threeeeeeeeeee… twooooooooooooo…” She’s not counting five seconds longer, she’s counting five breaths. Yoga is basically measured in breaths and a good breath lasts longer than a second. So keep that in mind.
6. You can skip the push-up in a Chaturanga sequence. Maybe yesterday was arm day and you’re sore, maybe you’re looking for a milder workout, maybe you’re just feeling kind of lazy—I get it. So when the teacher says “Chaturanga!” you can just skip straight from plank back into downward dog. It’s our little secret.
7. You can put your knees down, too. If side-plank just isn’t happening, there’s no shame in putting your knee down and making it a little easier. There’s always modifications you can make if a pose isn’t working out for you—yoga is very flexible that way (yet another fully intended pun).
8. Your thighs should be off the floor during upward dog. Only barely! But yeah, even if you’re not strong enough to go through Chaturanga without lowering all the way to the floor (I’m usually not), once you’re in upward dog, only your palms and the tops of your feet should be on the mat.
9. Don’t try out the harder pose when you can’t do the easier one yet. Peer pressure has no place in yoga. So don’t push yourself into something you’re not ready for just because some more experienced yogi nearby is doing that cool, tricky advancement. If you’re still working at your bridge pose…
…then don’t try and copy that super-yogi-chick who’s going for wheel. She’s probably one of those Instagram yogis that almost deterred you from coming to class.
10. But don’t never try the trickier poses. Don’t assume you can’t do a pose because you’re not “strong enough,” or because a friend of yours can’t do the pose and you think she’s better at yoga than you. Everyone has different strengths and abilities. Honestly, I have so little upper body strength it’s sad, but on a good day I can do a pretty mean side-crow pose. And I have a friend who studied ballet for years and is a way better yogi than me in almost every way, except for backbends; I just happen to have a more flexible spine. If you’ve been progressing and improving, then give it a try—you’ll never know if you don’t give it go.
11. Hip openers are everything. If you go to a class and the instructor asks “is there anything you especially want to work on today?” if nobody else says so, say “hips!” They’re the biggest joint in your body and even though pigeon pose can be rough at first, just breathe through it, relax, and your hips will thank you later. Trust me.
12. Bow and say “Namaste” at the end. Show some respect for your elders! (Even if your instructor is a 23 year old chick, bow down anyway).
People are always saying when I invite them to yoga “I’m not flexible” or “I’ll be terrible at it”—ugh! Nobody starts out at something perfectly; you’ll get more flexible; you’ll get better at it. My favorite part of yoga is that it is not a competitive activity. Everyone and all levels are welcome because everyone starts somewhere. So if you’re new to yoga, I hope my aforementioned tips and tricks help jumpstart your practice.
Namaste!